Sales of higher welfare chicken continue to grow even in times of recession, according to new figures revealed by researchers TNS.
Compassion in World Farming (CWF) commissioned the study that found free-range chicken sales jumped 35% between December 2007 and December 2008.
Higher welfare chicken meat sales grew 42% over the same period of time, TNS said.
In December last year alone, the volume of standard chicken products consumed dipped 11% compared with 2007.
And the sales value of standard chicken in Tesco fell 55% in December when compared with that month the year before, the researcher added.
Director of food policy and research at CWF Dr Lesley Lambert said: “The TNS figures clearly show that consumers care about animal welfare and are ready to pay a little bit more for that, even during our difficult financial times.
“Campaigns like [Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's] Chicken Out! have brought the issue under the spotlight and helped to raise awareness.”
But he added: “Despite consumers’ determination to purchase higher welfare chicken, some major supermarkets are not keeping up.
“The reality is that most of the chicken meat sold in our supermarkets comes from chickens which are intensively reared.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Tesco has been meeting with poultry farmers in a bid to improve chicken welfare.
According to the Independent, Tesco attended its first Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs group last year and discussed topics including welfare and sustainability.
The meetings were revealed as part of Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Chickens, Hugh and Tesco Too, set to air tonight (26 January 2009).
In December, TNS told TalkingRetail.com that sales of free-range chicken actually dipped following the chef’s high-profile welfare campaign last spring.
